Switch



Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED srAr Es Parser OFFICE LEO MAYER, F BOSTOEEI, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 HENRY COLE COMPANY, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS SVTITCH Application filed. September 6, 1929.

This invention relates to electrical sockets and control members and more particularly to articles of this character to-be used in con junction with light bulbs such as are commonly employed in vehicles.

The present invention provides a switch arrangement which is particularly applicable to a tubular supporting shell or socket such as is commonly used for light bulbs in motor vehicles. This switch member may be arranged in a conventional socket without requiring any structural rearrangement of the socket itself beyond the cutting of a slot in the wall of the same for the switch operating handle.

The switch itself is very simple and requires but the addition of a small number of elements to the socket. Preferably the movable contact member comprises a thin metal spring having a segmental extent of somewhat more than 180 and shaped to fit in firm frictional engagement with the inner face of the tubular socket. This spring is preferably provided with a chord-like portion, one end of which is joined to its'segmental body portion and the other end of which'may have a bearing upon another portion of the inner face of the tubular shell. chord-like portion of the contact member is thus provided, which may be moved into engagement with a fixed conductor (or conductors) within the conventional socket. Preferably this portion of the movable contact is provided with a cam-like hump which may be snapped and resiliently locked in en gagement with the fixed conductor, thereby avoiding accidental jarring of the contact out of current-carrying position. The movable contact member is so shaped that it forms its own pivotal supportand is also frictionally held in theposition to which it is moved by the operating handle, and, due to the provision ofa comparatively largesegmental extent of the contact member in engagement locked position;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the switch Serial No. 390,720.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1"

n a I I e a v 7 I Fig. a is a similar view showing the parts in the position which they occupy when the switch member is being snapped into its member in locked position;

Fig. 6 is a detail View of an optional form of resilient contact member; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail showing the arrangement of the switch in conjunction with" a pair of aligned conductors.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, numeral 1 designates a tubular socket or shell that is adapted to support a light bulb 2,

suitable bayonet slots 3 being provided to receive pins lupon the base 13 of the bulb. Preferably the opposite end of the shell carries a. cylindrical block 9 of insulating material which supports an elongate conductor or current carrying post 10 having a springpressed plunger 11 that is forced into yieldable engagement with a contact 12 at the center of base 13. A second conductor 15 extends through the block 9 and'preferably is arranged to be grounded upon any suitable part of the vehicle.

In accordance witlithe present invention, a resilient contact member 18 is provided with a body portion which has a substantially segmental extent of over 180, and which is so shaped that it is retained in firm resilient engagement with the inner surface of the wall of shell 1. Aradially disposed handle 20 may be'secured to the member 18 in any suitable manner as by a riveted connection 21. The member 18 preferably has a chord-like section 22 which connects its segmental body portion and a short bearing portion 23 in engagement with shell 1. The portion 22 of the spring 18 is adapted to be moved into engagement with the conductor 15 and is provided with an inwardly curved protuberance or hump'24r that is adapted to be snapped past the post 15 as the member 18 isrotated within the shell.

Handle 20 projects through a suitable slot 25 in the wall of the shell, the ends of this slot being arranged to limit the angular movement of switch member 18. When the handle 20 is moved into engagement with one end of slot 25 the member 18 is out of en gagement with the post 15 (Fig. As handle 20 is swung to a position intermediate the ends of slot 25, hump 2-1 upon the chord-like portion 22 of member 18 is pressed into cam-like engagement with the post 15, thus permitting current to flow between these elements. Upon continued movement of the handle 20 the hump 24 is snapped past the post, thereupon serving resiliently to lock member 18 in its current-carrying position. In this position of the parts the member 15 holds the portion 22 of contact 18 under resilient stress, thus affording proper contact for current conduction.

It is evident that current may be received from the lead 26 that is connected to the con ductor 1O flowing through the contact 12 to the filament within bulb 2 and thence through the base 13 and shell 1 to the member 18. Due to the shape and design of the latter, it has an ample area in contact with the shell and when it is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5 its portion 22 is held in firm resilient engagement with the side of post 15 thereby closing the circuit and permitting the current to pass to the ground wire 29. This arrangement permits the movable switch meml er to contact with the fixed conductor 15 and avoids the necessity of arranging a switch member in conjunction with the springpressed plunger 11 or an adjoining portion of the corresponding current carrying element 10.

Fig. 7 illustrates the arrangement of a switch member of the general character described above in conjunction with a socket for a double contact bulb. This socket 101 is provided with one continuous conductor 110 which engages one contact 112 of the base 113 of the double contact bulb 102. A short conducting element 115 is supported in alignment with a second conductor 116 that engages the othercontact 112 upon the base 113. Shell 101 is provided with a slot 125 corresponding to the slot 25 referred to above, and the movable contact member 18 with its chord-like portion and bearing portions may be similar to that employed with a single contact bulb, but arranged however so that its chord-like portion may be moved into engagement with the aligned ends of the conductors 115 and 116, thereby permitting the flow of current through the same. It is thus evident that this switch arrangement is not only advantageous where it is desirable to conduct current between a single contact bulb and a shell or socket, but also where it is desirable to permit current to flow between two conductors arranged with juxtaposed ends within the tubular shell or socket.

Fig. 6 shows an optional form of contact spring 18 which is provided with a chordlike portion 22 having a hump 24F similar to that previously described, the portions 18" and 22 being secured to each other by riveting 31 or the like. t is thus evident that the resilient switch member may be made in two pieces or may be formed integrally as desired.

It is obvious that a switch of this character may be readily combined or associated with conventional bulb supporting sockets and that the only modification of the socket shell which is ordinarily required is the cutting of the slot 25. The contact 18 is held frictionally in place as determined by the movement of the handle 20, but the hump 24 serves to lock the same in its current-carrying position. Since the contact member itself provides a pivotal hearing which defines the path of the handle 20, it is not necessary to provide small pivot pins, screws or the like. Accordingly a switch of this character is simple and reliable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

I claim:

1. In combination a tubular lamp socket shell, a fixed contact member supported within the shell in spaced relation to the same, a movable contact member comprising a spring having a substantially segmental portion in resilient frictional engagement with the inner face of the shell, a handle extending through an opening in the shell to effect the rotation of the movable contact about the axis of the shell, said movable contact having a portion disposed substantially in the position of a chord of the circle formed by the inner face of the shell, said portion of the contactbeing movable into engagement with the fixed contact member.

2. In combination a tubular lamp socket shell, a fixed contact member supported within the shell in spaced relation to the same, a movable contact member comprising a spring having a substantially segmental portion in resilient frictional engagement with the inner face of the shell, a handle extending through an opening in the shell to effect the rotation of the movable contact about the axis of the shell, said movable contact having a portion disposed substantially in the position of a chord of the circle formed by the inner face of the shell, said portion of the contact being movable into engagement with the fixed contact member, and being provided with a hump that mav be snapped in camlike engagement with the fixed contact mem her to lock the switch in its current carrying position.

3. In combination a tubular lamp socket shell, a fixed contact member supported within the shell in spaced relation to the same,

a movable contact member comprising a spring having a substantially segmental portion of more than in extent in resilient frictional engagement with the inner face of the shell, a handle extending through an opening in the shell to effect the rotation of the movable contact about the axis of the shell, said movable contact having a portion disposed substantially in the position of a chord of the circle formed by the inner face of the shell, and an end of said portion of the movable contact spaced from said segmental portion and bearing against the inner face of the shell, said portion of the contact being movable into engagement With the fixed contact member.

4. In combination a tubular lamp socket shell, a fixed contact member supported Within the shell in spaced relation to the same, a movable contact member comprising a spring having a substantially segmental portion in resilient frictional engagement With the inner face of the shell, a handle extending through an opening in the shell to efiect the rotation of the movable contact about the axis of the shell, the ends of the opening forming stops to limit the movement of the movable contact, the latter having a portion disposed substantially in the position of a chord of the circle formed by the inner face of the shell, said portion of the contact being movable into engagement With the fixed contact member, and being provided With a hump that may be snapped in cam-like engagement With the fixed contact member to lock the switch in its current carrying position, Where the handle engages one end of the opening.

5. A lamp socket comprising a substantiallv tubular shell, an arcuate contact member slidably engaging the inner surface of the shell and rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, a conductor fixed Within the shell in operative relation to said member, said member being formed of resilient sheet metal and having an inwardly projecting, chord-like portion adapted upon rotation of the member to engage said conductor.

6. A. lamp socket comprising a substantially tubular shell, an arcuate contact member slidably engaging the inner surface of the shell and rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, a conductor fixed Within the shell in operative relation to said member, the shell having an opening in its side, and a handle fixed to said member and extending outwardly through said opening for supporting and rotating said member.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 26th day of August, 1929.

LEO MAYER. 

